RPO coming to Newark High School December 6

Comment

Wayne Post

Writer

Posted Dec. 2, 2013 at 8:01 AM

Posted Dec. 2, 2013 at 8:01 AM

Wayne, N.Y.

NEWARK — The Newark School District, in conjunction with the Greater Newark Chamber of Commerce, have teamed up once again to bring the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra here to perform at Newark High School Dec. 6 at 7:30 p.m.

“Newark High School is both proud and privileged to host the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra for the thirteenth consecutive year. These holiday concerts here in our community are a wonderful annual holiday tradition that so many look forward to,” said Dave Schwind, Newark school district music supervisor and NHS instrumental music teacher.

“The Newark Central School District would again like to thank the many sponsors who have enabled us to present this performance at a very affordable price,” Schwind said. “We are especially grateful to Wegmans and Lyons National Bank for their generous support of this event.”

This year, Dr. Gerard Floriano, Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at the State University of New York (SUNY) Geneseo will conduct the RPO.

Floriano has conducted in many of America's premier concert halls, including NYC's Carnegie Hall and Alice Tully Hall, Baltimore's Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, as well as abroad in both Spain and Italy, most notably as Conductor at the prestigious Artist Alliance International Choral Festival in Vicenza, Italy.

A one-time conducting assistant to Maestro John Nelson with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and at the Caramoor Festival, Dr. Floriano has been Guest Conductor with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic, the Finger Lakes Symphony, and he has spent nine years at the Brevard Summer Music Festival as Resident Conductor for this renowned orchestral training institute.

Learn more about him at www.gerardfloriano.com

Elena O’Connor will be featured soprano soloist at the concert.

A Rochester native, O’Connor studied at the Eastman School of Music and graduated from the University of Miami’s School of Music, where she sang one of the lead roles in the American premiere of Luigi Mancinelli’s Paola e Francesca. She also was noted by the New York Times for her standout performance at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall in Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha. O’Connor was a multi-year prizewinner in the Palm Beach Opera International Vocal Competition, as well as a winner of the Aspen Music Festival’s Vocal Concerto Competition. After her performance with the Cincinnati May Festival, the Cincinnati Enquirer touted her as a young star to watch.

She has appeared with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra under the batons of Michael Butterman and Jeff Tyzik, and was among many artists invited to take part in Christopher Seaman’s farewell concert. Also in Rochester, she was featured as Musetta in Mercury Opera’s production of La Boheme with Maestro Floriano.

Ticket prices for the RPO concert will be $12 for adults, $10 for senior citizens and $5 for students and will be available at the Newark Wegmans customer service desk and at the main office at Newark High School.

Page 2 of 2 - As in other years, the school district will provide shuttle bus service from the Woodlane Community Church parking lot so people won’t have to walk great distances to their cars.

The auditorium doors at NHS will open at 7:15 p.m. Dec. 6 for the RPO concert.

“All concert goers will be asked to sit in the gymnasium until RPO staff open the doors,” Schwind said. “The Newark High School Jazz Ensemble will be performing holiday music in the gym during that time.”